What will become of Beijing in the future? How will it grow as a global city in the 21st Century? 

Currently, it is already a global city and force of political and economic power in the world. It is also a city with a deep history and culture, full of both people from around China and from around the world. There are people of all sorts: students, workers, managers, migrants, politicians, business elites, artists, musicians, filmmakers, military men, models and athletes. Places of all sorts: Hutongs, monuments, temples, factories, universities, music clubs, apartments, cafes, constructions sites, shopping malls, and ministries. All of these will influence Beijing's future. 

Beijing has immense potential, but also many signs of danger despite its economic stability. Scarcity of resources and rising prices hangs over the city. Pollution and related environmental contaminations affect everyone. And in reality there are simply too many people in the area to be fully sustained in terms of space, water, and other resources. At some point (and perhaps it is already doing so) Beijing will have to make some decisions about these problems and find innovative ways to fix them. . . these problems however, are also the world's problems, and Beijing can be a leading force in helping solve such 21st century problems. 

After living in Beijing for over three years I have immense affection and hope for it. It is a place that is constantly in my mind and has left a distinct impression. Though I sometimes emphasize its dystopian or apocalyptic dimensions, I do so with love and interest, engagement with the city, the people I am connected to their, and all its possible futures. 

I hope that this chapter has shown you how fascinated I am by Beijing, as a historical place, as a city experienced in the living present, and in whatever it may become. I hope to return soon and continue to explore, and see how the city has filled in and expanded. Discover new secrets, even if they are underneath a smoggy sky (though this can be magical too). 

Goodbye to the Northern Capital for now. . . may we dream of its Ring Roads, Subway Lines, and Hutong Lanes. . .